ALL polls from the East and South, whether done locally or from international organizations, have ALL shown that the separatists only enjoy a minority of support. Probably even less now, what with all the kidnappings and murder the "separatists" engage in to control the residents.
Russia condemned the western-leaning revolutionary government and took back historically Russian Crimea, which Khrushchev had transferred to Ukraine in 1954 (when it manifestly did not matter).
The Russkies only had Crimea since they ethnically cleansed somewhere between 2 to 7 million Ukrainians, not to mention non-Ukrainian "kulaks" and others who resided there.
Crimea is geographically a part of Ukraine. It does not even have a land connection to Russia.
Folks in the Russia-sympathizing eastern parts of the country, centered on Donetsk, rebelled against the Kiev government, aiming to split the country.
Strelkov and most of his cronies are Russian agents. Half of the war dead have been Russians, even Muslim Chechens sent as part of the Vostok battalion. Their corpses were sent back to Russia, not buried in East Ukraine.
Strelkov and most of his cronies are Russian agents. Half of the war dead have been Russians, even Muslim Chechens sent as part of the Vostok battalion. Their corpses were sent back to Russia, not buried in East Ukraine.
Yes, they were sent back to Russia because Russian chauvinists consider Ukraine to be Little Russia. Not an important area just some imperialistic borderlands.